Titus Salt School

Not everything that bears Titus Salt's name is Victorian. Titus Salt School, our nearest Upper School for 11-18 year olds, is across the Coach Road at the far side of Roberts Park. Opened in 2008, it replaced an older school on the same site. I enjoy its bold architecture, with hints of Art Deco styling. It has high fences and hedges all around so it's not easy, from the perimeter, to get the kind of photos I'd really like. Oddly enough, it also seems to look best in strong sunlight which emphasises the angles and clean lines. Never mind, on an overcast day I still felt like taking a few pictures of it. 

 

Shipley Glen and Trench Meadows

After my walk up beside the Tramway, I was intending to have a ramble along the moor at the top of Shipley Glen. The paths were, however, so muddy and slippery that I thought better of it, instead threading my way gingerly down the bridleway (also muddy!) to the Coach Road.

That path skirts its way along the side of Trench Meadows nature reserve, a rare lowland meadow habitat. It's owned by Bradford Council, who had it on their 'Disposals List' until it was included in the new Bradford Pennine Gateway National Nature Reserve, which covers eight different sites in our region and protects a variety of priority habitats. Launched in 2023 to mark King Charles III's Coronation, the King's Series of National Nature Reserves (NNRs) is a 5-year initiative by Natural England to create 25 new, significant nature reserves. The project aims to boost biodiversity, connect habitats, and improve public access to nature.

I was struck by the difference in the reserve's appearance when the sun was shining (above) and when it clouded over (below). I quite liked the soft, silvery look and have processed the photo below to emphasise that. 

Just at the edge of the reserve are some of the oldest buildings in the area: Trench House and Trench Barn. Both date to the mid 1600s, with some later additions, and are now listed buildings. They originally belonged to the Hudson family, yeoman clothiers - small holders practising a little subsistence farming but whose main income came from spinning wool and weaving cloth in their own homes.

Jowetts and alpacas

At the 130th anniversary of the Shipley Glen Tramway celebrations, there were a few other attractions in Thompson Lane Field. Altreka is a family run alpaca trekking centre in Baildon. They had brought along two of their alpacas for people to get to know. They seemed very patient and amenable to being walked around the field. I'm not sure I fancy taking a trek with an alpaca, to be honest. Sounds even harder to manage than a dog on a lead. At least my camera is well-behaved - and that's what I usually take trekking! 

The Jowett cars were very well-behaved, lining up in an orderly manner. Jowett cars and vans were manufactured in Bradford between 1906 and 1954, designed initially as a lightweight vehicle that could cope easily with Bradford and Yorkshire's hilly terrain. The Bradford Industrial Museum has a number of the vehicles in its collection, though I think those shown were from a local enthusiasts' group. 

The Tramway's birthday

On 18 May 1895, Sam Wilson opened the Shipley Glen Tramway, a cable-hauled narrow-gauge tramway with two cars. It connects Saltaire (at the back of Roberts Park) with what was then a fairground and various attractions on Shipley Glen. The fairground is long gone but Shipley Glen is still a lovely area to walk or picnic, and the Tramway is still there. It has been restored and is operated by volunteers. For £2.50 (adult fare) you can ride up and down all day if you so choose, but just a single ride from the bottom saves a steep walk uphill. 

On 18 May 2025, they celebrated its 130th birthday with an open day and events in Thompson Lane Field. It was lovely to see queues of people waiting for a ride (and it must have helped bring in some much needed income to keep it going. It's been very close to closing completely, many times over the years). 

I've ridden it lots of times but I still enjoy the experience and enjoy, too, the delight of other passengers, especially the children. The two cars pass each other halfway along the ride and everyone waves! Good, wholesome, simple fun in a complicated world. 

Nature notes

It was wonderful to notice all the signs of spring in the nature reserve. It all feels late this year but in fact I think it is actually a more 'normal' year and it's been the past two or three mild winters that have led to early springs. 

Green leaves are unfolding; catkins are on the trees. This (below) is, I think, an alder. The long dangly catkins are the males and the tiny pink buds are the as yet unfertilised females. 

Willow is commonly known as pussy willow because of its furry catkins, grey at first and then changing to yellow when they are ripe with pollen. 

There were a few birds around. I'm sure there were woodland birds, though I can't hear their song so I don't easily spot them. The heron was unmissable, standing in the shallows. Goosander (female on the left, male on the right) were cruising the river.  This is the Aire, remarkably low in water for the time of year. We've had a rather dry March. 

In the woodland, wild violets were blooming. They are so pretty. I'm not sure of the exact species. The differences are minor. I'd hazard a guess at Early Dog Violet. 

There were patches of primroses too:

Lesser celandine shines brightly in damp places. Its petals open in the sunshine and close if it's going to rain. They flower early, providing an important nectar source for insects. In C S Lewis's book 'The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe', they mark the coming of spring after the White Witch's eternal winter: "Coming suddenly round a corner into a glade of silver birch trees Edmund saw the ground covered in all directions with little yellow flowers - celandines". 

Denso Marston Reserve

It's over thirty years since the Denso Marston nature reserve was created. The Denso Marston company makes radiators and thermal cooling systems, in a large factory adjacent to the River Aire in Baildon. The buffer zone between the factory and the river was turned into a nature reserve in 1991, for the benefit of wildlife and the local community. It's now cared for by a warden and volunteers, the Friends of Denso Marston. 

The seven acre site has a large pond, bog areas and woodland, with footpaths running throughout. Benches placed strategically offer quiet spots from which to enjoy the scenery and look for the wildlife. There are periodic working parties to maintain the reserve, guided walks and various events to introduce both children and adults to the variety of species to be found there. 

Despite the pond being right beside the back of the factory, it still attracts lots of wildlife. I saw mallards, a grey heron, and a moorhen scuttling across the pond, even though it was mid-afternoon and quite busy with visitors and dogs.

 

Baildon bimble

This summer we are holding an exhibition of work by our camera club members and I've had six prints selected to show. Over the years, I've found it much easier to get them professionally printed and mounted. It's more expensive of course but saves a lot of faffing about and gives a much better finish. So I had to call in on the picture framer that I use in Baildon. It was such a lovely spring day that I took the opportunity for a short walk down by the river nearby. 

Ford House Farm is a highly rated B&B. The fields around it were full of horses so there must be some kind of equestrian centre there too. I was mildly amused by the horses. In their winter coats and fly hoods, they looked like they were going to a fancy dress party! 

The path down to the river is one of those that has been well used for years, linking Baildon with Thackley, over a footbridge across the river. 

The river hereabouts can suffer from flooding and so it all looks a bit messy, with lots of debris - plastic and suchlike - on the banks and hanging from the tree branches. (I tried to choose the less messy bits to photograph!) Quite a few trees have fallen or had limbs broken too. Nevertheless it's a pleasant walk along the riverbank, connecting Shipley with Esholt if you walk far enough. 

Close by is the small nature reserve of Denso Marston, which has this rather lovely commemorative stone seat at one end, marking the gift of the reserve from the Denso Marston company to the local community in 1991.   

One glorious tree

We have a newish vicar at my church, so we held an 'away-day' at St John's church halls in nearby Baildon, in order to do some praying and planning together as a church family seeking to serve our community. It was a lovely autumnal day, a bit too nice to be inside really. I contented myself with a stroll around the small churchyard during the lunch break. 

There was one rather lovely tree, making quite a statement in its autumn finery. 

The view over the rear wall of the churchyard is rather wonderful too. 

In Midgeley Wood

Midgeley Wood is located near the bottom of the Glen Tramway. It's a small area, a continuation of the swathe of woodland that arcs round through Shipley Glen to Baildon Bank. It's therefore quite a steeply sloping site, which gives it a very different feel from other local wooded areas like Hirst Woods. There's footpath along the top edge and one along the bottom but to move from one to the other involves an undignified and fairly hair-raising scramble. (I know; I've done it!) Perhaps because of the topography, it seems less well-used than other local woodlands. It is, however, filled with bluebells at this time of year and rather magical because of that.

 

Baildon's Community Garden

I had a drive up to Baildon village centre to look in the carpet shop there. I need to get my entire apartment re-carpeted, once I've redecorated. The existing floor coverings are very stained and dirty as well as not being my style or colours. (I'm not a rust/maroon gal at all!) 

It was a dull, cold, rainy day but I nevertheless walked up to the Community Garden, which is always a little oasis of calm, colour and texture. 

Swathes of winter flowering heathers bring welcome colour. 

The gardener and his dog keep an eye on proceedings. 

Camellias are in flower. These exuberant blooms always look to me like they should be summer flowers, but they brave early spring and are often browned by frosts. Not so this year; they are a little rain battered but mostly looking good. The rich colours are gorgeous.